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东山高卧
东山高卧
东山高卧
东山高卧
东山高卧
东山高卧
东山高卧
东山高卧

东山高卧 — “To live in secluded comfort”

东山高卧 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to live in secluded comfort”. Declining official appointments and leading a life of ease. Literally, “Lie high on East Mountain”.

Frequency

东山高卧 Pronunciation and Pinyin

东山高卧 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order
CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
东
dōng5east, host
山
shān3mountain or hill
高
gāo10high, tall, elevated
卧
wò8lie down or crouch

Example Sentence with 东山高卧

经历了大半生的忙碌,王教授选择东山高卧,在乡村享受宁静的晚年。
After a busy career spanning most of his life, Professor Wang chose to live in secluded comfort, enjoying a tranquil old age in the countryside.

Origin and Story of 东山高卧

During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the wise man Xie An resolutely resigned from his official post and retired to Dongshan (East Mountain) near Kuaiji. Literati often came to visit him, drinking and composing poetry with him, never concerning himself with court affairs.

When Former Qin invaded from the south, the Eastern Jin Dynasty was in grave danger. Xie An, at a critical moment, accepted the appointment to become the chancellor of Eastern Jin. He led his army to successfully defeat the Former Qin forces at the Battle of Fei River, and then seized the opportunity to lead a northern expedition to reclaim lost territories.

Idioms Related to 东山高卧

Synonyms of 东山高卧

  • gāo高wò卧dōng东shān山live in seclusion, decline official appointments

Antonyms of 东山高卧

  • dōng东shān山zài再qǐ起make a comeback

More idioms starting with 东

  • dōng东yī一xià下xī西yī一xià下act aimlessly or erratically
  • dōng东dǎo倒xī西wāi歪staggering and lopsided
  • dōng东tōu偷xī西mō摸pilfer here and there
  • dōng东tù兔xī西wū乌The relentless passage of time
  • dōng东chōng冲xī西jué决floodwaters gushing and breaching banks
  • dōng东chōng冲xī西zhuàng撞rush about aimlessly
  • dōng东chōng冲xī西tū突charge and attack in all directions
  • dōng东láo劳xī西yàn燕friends or lovers separating
  • dōng东nán南zhī之bǎo宝outstanding talents from the Southeast
  • dōng东nán南zhī之xiù秀Outstanding talents from the Southeast
  • dōng东nán南zhī之měi美Eminence of the Southeast
  • dōng东nán南bàn半bì壁southeastern half of the country

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Questions about 东山高卧

What does 东山高卧 mean?

东山高卧 (dōng shān gāo wò) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to live in secluded comfort”.

How do you pronounce 东山高卧?

东山高卧 is pronounced dōng shān gāo wò in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 东山高卧 literally mean?

Literally, 东山高卧 means “Lie high on East Mountain”. It is used to mean “to live in secluded comfort”.

Where does 东山高卧 come from?

东山高卧 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 东山高卧?

比喻隐居不仕,生活安闲。

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